DOUBLE DIPPING

Bonjour summer! Amazingly, it seemed to have arrived for a few days there! In celebration, one gloriously sun-kissed day at Clever Hands HQ we decided to indulge in this colourful, simple and sunny selection of dunking delights. These dips or spreads, depending on how greedy you are, are quick to whip up, easy to keep and quite healthy (good God, what is happening to me?!)

On our menu was hummus, tzatziki, broad beans with coriander and yoghurt, mirza ghasemi, tabbouleh, a chunky chilli sauce, borek and falafel. A vegetarian feast lay before us.....

HUMMUS 
A staple in most fridges, especially these days what with middle eastern food becoming more and more popular. Hummus is also health central. Its core ingredients are chick peas which contain no cholesterol or saturated fat, whilst garlic and lemon juice - both antioxidants - help to boost your immune system and to top it all off, olive oil, which the adverts say help Italians to live longer. Hooray! The only fatty little fly in the ointment is our friend the tahini which, alas, is fatty and calorific but there's not that much in here, soooo...

Recipe
1 can of chickpeas
2 tablespoons tahini
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons very cold water (this is going to help you decipher your consistency so you may have to play around to get exactly what you're looking for)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil, and more to garnish

Whizz up chickpeas with tahini and garlic, add the olive oil. Add lemon juice to taste and water for creaminess. Season it with salt and whizz again. Finito! ps. I threw in some sweet paprika and parsley at the end for a bit of colour.

TZATZIKI 
For years I've made this with fresh mint, hoping that the glorious aroma of the mint would permeate the yoghurt and cucumber mix in a refreshing yet subtle sort of way... don't bother. It doesn't. If anything the yoghurt kills the mint and then you're left with a wierdly textured yoghurt concoction with annoying leaves in your mouth.  My Persian father has always said dried mint is best and it turns out (for once) he is right.

Recipe
3 tablespoons greek yoghurt
half a cucumber, chopped into baby chunks
1 tablespoon dried mint
2 cloves of garlic crushed
olive oil - add to taste and required consistency
lemon juice, I reckon about half a lemon
salt, lots - but taste it as you go

Combine all the ingredients, taste as you go. This is also a good thing to have to serve with lamb, not just for dipping bread!

BROAD BEANS WITH CORIANDER AND YOGHURT 
This does exactly what it says on the tin. I just add a bit of chilli (just because I had some for colour) and lots of lemon, oil and salt.

Recipe
3 tablespoons greek yoghurt
juice of 1 lemon
a good handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of broad beans , cooked and cooled
olive oil for consistency and taste
salt to taste

Simply combine all ingredients, tasting as you go.



TABBOULEH 
What you see pictured below isn't really a taboulleh - the real deal has bulgur wheat running through it though it's essentially herbs with a little bit of wheat rather than the other way round. This herb fest is gloriously fresh (with or without the wheat) and is a must have at any BBQ. I know there's a lot of boring chopping to do, but just bring your laptop into the kitchen and watch/probably just listen to an episode of something while you do it. What you see below is a recipe for tabbouleh. Remove the bulgur wheat to get what's pictured here.

Recipe - serves 4
30 g bulgur wheat
two hands full of flat leaf parsley, chopped
hand full of coriander, chopped
hand full of mint, chopped
half a red onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
hand full of pomegranate seeds

Wash the wheat in cold water until the water runs clear. Dry and combine with all the chopped leaves, onion, garlic and pomegranate. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

CHUNKY CHILLI SAUCE 

Say hello to zest! Chopped raw onions bring a wonderfully bright zinginess to this salsa. They add crunch and are helped along by delicious lime juice.

Recipe

6 tomatoes chopped into 8

tablespoon olive oil

2 chillies chunkily chopped, leaving the seeds in

1 red pepper chopped to the same size as the chillies

3 garlic cloves crushed

1/2 a diced onion

1 lime zest and juice

salt and sugar to taste

Just chop tomatoes into 8 and pop into a pan with the chillis, peppers and a little olive oil. Once the tomatoes have boiled to a chunky sauce, throw in the garlic. Switch the heat off, in with the chopped onion and all the limey goodness. 

Mirza Ghasemi

This really is saving the best til last. This dip is ideal for throwing together - it takes 10 mins total. Mine is a quicktime cheat, but it's still DELICIOUS. It's unusual (a bit of Iranian heritage food) and without exception a favourite amongst all my friends and clients. Here I served it in one of my quaint pretty bowls, but this has the thick consistency that would allow for the classic Ottolenghi style -  spread flatly over a plate. I highly recommend providing a spoon as it's a bit thick to simply dip, it's also outrageously moreish (especially when served with toasted Turkish bread) and the spoon will slow everyone down a bit!

here I've garnished with mint - I reckon coriander is better suited though

Recipe

2 aubergines

4 garlic cloves

1 chopped fresh tomato (for the longer cook - optional)

olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato purée

2 eggs, whisked

salt

Smoke your aubergines either by just resting on flaming hob, and turning once the skin has burned OR sticking under the grill. Keeping the skins on is what traps the smokey taste inside. Once your skins are nice and burned peel the aubergines. Chop the pulpy flesh and throw it into a pan with 4 crushed cloves of garlic and cook it gently with a bit of oil. Now add the tomato purée. At this point, if you have a bit more time throw in a chopped fresh tomato and cook the mixture for 30 mins on a low heat. If you're going for fast and simple just make sure the aubergine and tomato purée is nicely combined and the pulp in the pan has a nice reddish colour, cook for 4 minutes. Next blend the mixture til smooth(ish) in a food processor or in/with a blender. Put it back in the frying pan on a high heat, along with more oil and the egg mixture  - yes, you're frying eggs. Wait til the eggs are cooked before combining everything and season with salt. I really like serving this with flaked almonds and fresh coriander....not sure that's very traditional, but it looks pretty!

Here's hoping the sun comes back soon!
S x

MAKE MINE A MOUSSAKA

I was stuck with a lot of minced beef last week - it sat in the fridge for a few days, staring at me with contempt. How to use it. "Not another lasagna!" we seemed to say to each other, "try something new!" the mince added, rather unkindly. So I fondled my cupboards and they graciously responded with a bag of raisins and some pistachio nuts. Pistachios, you may be interested to learn, are a nut my Persian father regularly fed my sister and I when we were wee - the connotations of this particular nut are endlessly nostalgic for me. A Middle Eastern jingle started to play in my head and with it I scurried to the supermarket, khombaks plinking, to make this dream a reality. I returned with some limes, coriander, yoghurt and aubergines and we were off - hurtling past Greece into the depths of the Middle East (whilst staying firmly put in Clerkenwell.)

I've never had Moussaka before (sorry!) but from what I've read it's pretty much a Greek lasagna - instead of beef, lamb and instead of pasta, aubergines with a bit of oregano and cinnamon. This was just not enough for me. No. The mince and I had other ideas. Last week's fish without chips had left me with a swelling spice drawer and I wanted to play! Looking back, the Greeks seem to have got it right - lamb instead of beef would have completed my heritage themed moussaka nicely, but the beef I used in the end worked charmingly.

Now to thank mother, fondly known as 'Bong'. Had she not told me about Evelyn Rose's moussaka earlier this week I doubt the idea would have even dared enter my small brain. So, thanks to both parents, a Jewish/Persian Moussaka has arrived on the scene and it's a good'un.

So Colourful: Middle Eastern Moussaka

Ingredients (this serves 6)

For the meat filling
600g minced beef/lamb
2 onions
4 large tomatoes, cut into quarters
A handful of pistachios
A handful of raisins
1 inch of ginger, grated
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tsps caster sugar
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
Zest of half a lime
Tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sumac
1 tbsp smoked paprika
 salt and pepper

For the aubergines
3 aubergines, sliced lengthways
1 big glug of olive oil

For the topping
6 tbsps of yoghurt
2 egg yolks
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of half a lime


How to...

...cook the beef/lamb
First Preheat the oven at 140°C. Rub the beef or lamb with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Brown in a hot pan in small batches to get a good, even colour. When the meat is browned, sprinkle with sumac. Set aside in it's own bowl.

Onions, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Tomatoes, Raisins, Pistachios, Coriander

...deal with the onions
Thinly slice the onions and fry them slowly in oil. If the pan dries, add a little bit of water. When they're looking nicely jellyfishy (transparent and squidgy), add the ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. Make sure the spices are nicely cooked out - undercooked spices is one of my worsts - it makes for a grim, gritty texture and who wants to eat raw spices?! Set aside the onions in a bowl.

...cook the tomatoes
Rinse out the pan and fry the tomatoes in the olive oil on a low heat. When the tomatoes start to lose their shape a little, add the garlic and shortly after a tsp of caster sugar. Add the lime zest. Again, if the pan gets dry, don't be afraid to add a little more water. Set aside with the onions.

..cook the raisins and pistachios
Rinse out the pan and fry the raisins and the pistachios with a tsp of sugar. When the pistachios start to brown, put the mixture in the bowl with the tomatoes and onions.

...deal with the aubergines and combine
At this stage, combine all the ingredients in a bowl (browned meat and vegetables) with the coriander.
Next, fry the aubergines until they are well browned. Place them on kitchen towel and sprinkle them with sea salt.
In an ovenproof serving dish, layer the meat and aubergine starting and finishing with the meat mixture and place it in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Once cooked, allow to cool.

Layers of spiced meat and aubergine...just one more meat layer to go!

For the topping:
Mix together all the ingredients and when the moussaka is cool, add the topping. Now cook for another 25 minutes. So nice and yellow from the yolks!

Middle Eastern Moussaka

Salaam my new favourite 'bake'.

NOPI (Named so as it is North of Picadilly) 

Having attended a demonstration by Ottolenghi himself during my training, I must admit his food was delicious and he appeared a confident and modest man. He spoke easily about his failures as well as his success and is clearly devoted to what he does. His food is carefully and simply crafted and is all the better for it. Still, shortly after his demonstration I wandered into the Islington branch of 'Ottolenghi' and while the food is presented beautifully, it is unbelievably busy: heaving with yummy mummies and their offspring. The noise combined with the confined space and the queue prompted a swift exit before trying or buying any of the food. I confess I am not the most patient of souls.

So you can imagine my mixed emotions when I was told we would be dining at 'Nopi', Ottolenghi's newer restaurant last Friday night. Images of a claustrophobic, noisy restaurant where it might be impossible to get anyone's attention unless you had the booming voice of an army sergeant vexed me, and my fears were only reinforced in the knowledge that we were to be sitting at the bar.

I was very relieved then when we were taken through the buzzing but not overcrowded restaurant and were attended to the instant we took our seats.  The sparkling white room sparsely punctuated with gold, notably makes a perfect canvas for the bold and colourful food that Ottolenghi is famous for.

The menu is simply set out under the headings VEG, FISH, MEAT and SWEETS. There is something very familiar about it all, and I realised after reading the menu this is the same as Ottolenghi's cafes - it's the same food, just served without the buffet. The food was uncompromisingly delicious, beautifully presented and thanks to this, painful to share (it's recommended that you share, choosing three savoury dishes each). As a less wealthy party of three we chose a total of six savoury dishes, a cocktail each, and waited to see if we wanted dessert.

The cocktails came and we made a game of describing them to each other. Mine, 'Hendricks Punch', was definitely reminiscent of Pimm's whilst Yuko's 'Pineapple and Sage Martini' was my favourite - tropical with a grounding sage leaf. Edward's was too strong for me to taste, but he claimed it was the perfect thing to drink after a bottle of brandy, which happily he'd consumed just before.

First the Valdeon cheesecake. Certainly a rich place to start, and an inspiring slant on the dessert. This was a winner and very pretty in it's copper pan. I do love a shiny copper pan!

Seared prawns, tomato butter, fennel , olives and Pernod. Yum. Sauce was for me the triumph of the evening.

Baby octopus was tasty but soon forgotten when presented with these juicy scallops. Delicately cooked and presented.

The lamb cannon with green chilli sauce was impressively cooked to perfection, and the flavours cleverly matched.

The Ox tongue was voted favourite of the evening, tender with a nice kick from the horseradish, and tart sweetness from the pickled cherries.

At this stage of the meal came the big question: SWEETS? I was definitely inclined toward the 'Caramel and Roasted Peanut Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce' but felt unhappy about spending £7.50 on ice cream. My concerns were sadly only magnified when I confided to the waiter what I fancied to eat, and he chirpily responded 'if you like Snickers, you'll love it'. Good point. The fact that they were selling me a deconstructed snickers ice cream at more than three times the price was more than a little unnerving and convinced us that another cocktail was the best way to end the meal.

I had a really lovely time at Nopi, the food was delicious, the service friendly and the company I was in made for a memorable evening. However, be prepared for it to set you back a few bob, it's very expensive for what it is. Of course, their cleverly attracted target audience remain as devoted as ever and their relationship will surely continue to thrive. If you know and love the Ottolenghi brand, I'm sure Nopi will only convince you further.


Thank you to Yuko Sugimoto for her photography and her choice of restaurant!

 http://www.nopi-restaurant.com/
21-22 Warwick Street  Lon, Greater London W1B 5NE

020 7494 9584